Comments on: Websites: Benefits & costs of accessibility

By: Moderator

Moderator — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:05:37 +0000

Hi, jalexander. DOT thinks that accessible redesign may benefit people with nonvisual disabilities, but has not tried to quantify that value. What issues do you feel people with cognitive, hearing and deaf/blindness disabilities have with website accessibility? In what ways would an accessible website improve their air travel experience?

By: jalexander

jalexander — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:15:26 +0000

I believe that websites should be available to people with all types of disabilities not just visual. People with cognitive disabilities as well as people with hearing disabilities and deaf/blindness also have issues related to air travel and website accessibility.

By: Moderator

Moderator — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:29:47 +0000

Thank you for sharing your personal experience with telephone reservations, alposner, and welcome to Regulation Room. Does anyone else have personal experiences they could also share about their issues with telephone reservations or air travel websites? DOT needs to know more about what people with disabilities are experiencing when they travel.

By: alposner

alposner — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:29:01 +0000

I strongly feel that more is needed in the way of better website access. Perhaps, as stated, airline personnel are supposed to waive the service fees for telephone reservations for disabled people, but my experience is that they often don’t. And when it comes to finding cheaper fares or less expensive alternative flight dates or times, they are no help at all. These are simple tasks for the non-disabled, but add greatly to both the cost and frustration of many disabled travelers.

By: Moderator

Moderator — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:25:09 +0000

Welcome to Regulation Room, aews175. It looks like you are addressing the proposed benefits to travelers with disabilities from kiosk accessibility, which can be discussed further at the Kiosks: Benefits and Costs of Accessibility post. It would be helpful if you told DOT specifically why the benefits they list have little impact and make specific suggestions on what could be done to make your travel experience easier.

By: aews175

aews175 — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:42:58 +0000

As a person with a mobility impairment, the more that I can manage my whole travel experience without a lot of interaction with staff, the more seamless my trip will be. At present, I try to do as much as possible online, but once at the airport I still need to negotiate red caps, security personnel, gate check-in personnel,luggage handlers and flight attendants,many of whom still do not have a clear idea of how to interact with people with disabilities. The kiosks will make little impact on this.

By: jbh249

jbh249 — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:05:50 +0000

Welcome to Regulation Room, borge689. It looks like you are addressing a potential benefit of kiosk accessibility, which can be found and discussed further Kiosks: Benefits and costs of accessibility post. Do you think there is a way for DOT to put a price on the benefits travelers will receive from not needing special assistance? DOT believes those benefits include increased independence, increased privacy, and an increased sense of inclusion.

By: jbh249

jbh249 — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:04:47 +0000

Hi, borge689. DOT wants help from you to check the accuracy of its estimates, provide additional information, and point out things it might have missed. The data is summarized on the lefthand side of this post. The full analysis can be accessed in the Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA).

By: Moderator

Moderator — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 22:58:26 +0000

Hi recon14193, and welcome to Regulation Room. It seems like you feel that the overall benefits, like better accessibility for people with disabilities and financial benefits to airlines, outweigh the costs. What do you think of King Slav’s comment below, that this cost is too much for airlines without enough benefit? Do you see any other benefits to airlines that might outweigh the costs?

By: recon14193

recon14193 — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 23:21:21 +0000

I agree good data is necessary for participation not just by disabled people in common activities but everyone and it is important that people have as much accessibility to all forms of interaction it also allows them to get around and give money not only to airlines but other sectors of the economy even if they arent going to make a big impact it still is just a step in the right direction